Past & Present
by Her Name Is Erika
Summary: Chase Matthews ponders the romantic encounters of his past and present. ChaseZoey. Mention ChaseRebecca. Oneshot.


A/N: Hi

**A/N: Hi. This is just a oneshot that was going to be Quinn/Logan, but I realized that there hasn't been any good ol' Chase centric in ages, so I want to get back to that. One girl will come twice. Take a wild guess, lol. **

**Disclaimer: Yes, Dan called me and gave me the paperwork to start Season Five. **

--

**Past & Present**

**Bella **

At five years old, Chase Matthews didn't have anything to worry about. Every kids' dream was to own the giant sixty-four pack of Crayola Crayons, and build the ultimate sandcastle. Right now, he was working on making the sandcastle's tower with sand, allowing it to stand proud and high.

At least until tomorrow morning, he hoped. All the more wondering why his companion hadn't come to school, much less recess. Recess was the best part of school, right? So he grew confused.

His best friend was Bella, a blond and blue-eyed girl that was generally friendly. It was like ultimate sin to play with a girl, because of the dreaded cooties, but Chase was a kid that just let things roll of his back, and go with the flow. Bella always smiled, and chattered a lot, and she was silly, making Chase laugh too, but today when she finally showed up to class around playtime, she looked sad.

"Hi Chase…"

"Hi Bella," Chase replied, and he looked confused as to why she was sniffling. "What's wrong?"

"My mommy and daddy said I can't come to school here anymore," the five-year-old replied, wiping her eyes roughly with the back of her sleeve. "I'm going somewhere far far way. And I'll miss you because you're my bestest friend in the whole wide world!"

"You're my friend too. When I'm sad, my Gramma always gives me a hug and a cookie to make me feel better. I'll miss you. I'll be sad because I built a castle this big," he stretched his arms really wide to show her size. "…and you were gone."

"Aw," the blonde pouted, her tears drying, and she dumped a whole tub of building blocks on the carpet. "No fair!"

"But I think grown-ups are weird. I asked my mommy when she kissed my daddy if they kiss where do their noses go, and she laughed…"

"Why?"

Chase shrugged, grabbing a building block, "I dunno. How do you kiss?"

"Oh, my big sister told me you gotta push out your mouth, and close your eyes. I'll show you. Chase, push out your mouth like you're poutin', and close your eyes, and then our mouths touch or somethin'…" Bella instructed, but Chase looked nervous.

"Will it hurt?"

"Nah," Bella shook her head, and then put on a thinking face. "That's what Jeannie told me, so push out your mouth, and close your eyes."

Chase told as he told, puckering up his lips, and Bella touched her lips to his in an innocent kiss.

Bella had given Chase his first kiss, and the next day, she was gone.

--

**Carly **

Carly was the new girl in Ms. Reilly's fourth grade class. She had soft brown hair, and warm brown eyes, but she was shy and didn't have many friends yet. She usually sat on the grass, idly pulling up blades of grass, watching the other kids play. Carly continued this routine until she saw a kid with unusually bushy hair looking up at her. She really didn't know what to do, but he looked nice, and friendly.

"Hi. I'm Chase," he introduced, sitting on the grass next to her. She turned her warm honey brown eyes to him and offered him a shy smile.

"I'm Carly," she replied, and found herself distracted by Chase's afro. She giggled, lightly. "Your hair's bushy. You knew that, right?"

"Yeah, I knew that," he answered, ruffling his own hair. He turned his green eyes to the light blue sky, the white fluffy clouds, passing by slowly. He got an idea. "Hey, wanna play a game with me?"

Carly looked surprised, as a smile slowly grew on her face, "Really? I don't have any friends, and no one's ever asked me to play with them before."

"Okay, I'll be your friend, then…"

"Okay, Chase."

"Good, now that you're my friend, wanna play the Cloud Game with me? All you gotta do is lay down on the grass and watch the clouds, and you say what they look like and stuff," Chase explained, and their game started. Soon, there were a lot of giggles, and laughter, and a lot of the use of imagination.

"Chase, I like you," Carly told him, her giggles residing. Her brown eyes sparkled happily. "Thanks for being my friend."

Chase smiled his boyish grin, "You're welcome. And I like you too."

Chase and Carly were best friends for two years, and then she moved away, the summer before he was to go to PCA.

He was sad when he realized in making friends with his roommates, they'd lost touch.

But two years had gone by, and the truth was, they had grown apart, and that was it.

--

**Zoey **

Thirteen was a crucial age in Chase Matthews' life. And it was the year he was started eighth grade at Pacific Coast Academy.

On this September 2004 morning, he rode his bike after settling into his dorm to catch some fresh air, and set his sights on how the campus had changed from just being all-boys to having girls in the area.

He found himself cruising around until he reached the student drop-off area. His eyes settled on a blonde, with a sunny smile and he thought she was so pretty, that he couldn't tear his gaze away. The flagpole said otherwise, making Chase topple to the ground, entangled in the purple school flag.

"Oh my God! Are you okay?" she asked, with a concerned look, and a voice to match. He thought her voice was so pretty and her eyes were the perfect shade of brown, even though he just met her. Chase rose, feeling his stomach do flip flops, and his palms getting sweaty. That voice floated in his voice, as he shook the flag off of him, and he smiled nervously.

"Uh, yeah. Just checking the flag," he pulled the purple material off of him some more. "It's a flag."

"I'm Zoey," she introduced, smiling.

"Chase…" he replied back. That fluttery feeling came back, and he could hear his heartbeat in his ears.

He had fallen literally for a girl, and was sure his life would change from here on.

The assumption was the correct one. The crush only developed into stronger feelings of love.

And this love Chase had for Zoey continued to grow, even more, when he went home and got a girlfriend over the summer break after that whole Spring Break fiasco.

--

**Rebecca **

He never knew a simple meeting, and small talk to escalate into a relationship that made him forget. It made him forget the blonde in Louisiana. Blonde hair was replaced with brunette hair, and light brown eyes were replaced with dark brown eyes that captured his attention, he would admit. He liked Rebecca, and his small town life in Boston.

He admitted that Rebecca genuinely made him laugh, and they almost liked the same things. Being back at PCA and seeing Zoey again, he remained pretty composed for someone that noticed that she had only gotten prettier with the summer.

Chase. Stop it. You have a girlfriend, he silenced his conscience like a mantra when he left to clear his head in his new dorm. He sighed, putting on a smile for his girlfriend when she walked in and sat next to him on the couch by the window.

"Uh, Chase, did you forget you were going to give me the grand tour and then go to Sushi Rox with me?" the brunette questioned, with a small laugh. Her laugh did sound nice, but he was still unsettled and didn't know why. Clearing his head was going to be way harder than he thought with a billion and questions and thoughts whizzing through his head, a mile a minute.

"Yeah, Becca. I'm sorry. I'm just settling, and then there's Michael and Logan fighting over who gets the single bed," he explained, taking her hand in his. "…but I'll make it up to you. I promise."

She smiled, inching closer to him, "Okay, then make it up to me."

And he pushed all thoughts of Zoey away to the back of his mind, when he captured Rebecca's lips in a kiss. She kissed back, and he liked it. He wanted to prove that Zoey really didn't have his heart clutched in her hands so tightly, but it literally hurt sometimes. He was in a haze that made lips move with Rebecca's in harmony with hers.

Until a voice reached his ears, and he pulled away from Rebecca.

"Chase, I – "

He could remember what she was wearing when she stood there: a pink tank top with a denim skirt that showed off her tanned legs. Chase heard his heart beat so loud, and with so force that he thought it was actually going to just beat out of his chest, and land on the carpet below. His throat suddenly went dry, and his stomach nearly heaved, so he decided to talk before he puked.

"Zoey, this is Rebecca," he introduced, pointing to the brunette beside him. "…my girlfriend."

There was an unreadable look in Zoey's eyes, as she smiled – but it nearly faltered for reasons unknown to him – politely.

"Nice to…meet you…"

Chase's heart clenched, literally making his chest almost get that aching feeling.

When Rebecca threw that ultimatum at him the next day, his suppressed feelings washed over him like a tidal wave.

He really did want to throw up because he loved one girl, and despite her attitude, he'd hurt the other.

**Allison**

In England, Chase had somehow transitioned into new surroundings. He loved London's rainy days, and the people were genuinely nice at Covington. He missed PCA, though, even though the experience had been amazing these last months. Chase wasn't too psyched about the uniforms, however, he concluded while reading Shakespeare in English class one day.

Shakespeare at PCA was really great, and English felt more hands-on. Sometimes, students got to act out parts, and be really in character. He usually did this with Lola, expertly because they were the art and drama experts. Covington Prep apparently had the same method, and that's how he met his partner, Allison.

She was pretty with sparkling, blue eyes, a voice so gentle that blended with her accent nicely. Her light brunette hair fell in a straight cascade, and she was always laughing and smiling. It was just English, he told himself.

And he did weigh the options carefully. Chase and Zoey both had a mutual understanding that it wasn't fair to keep the other romantically captive, so they were free to date. They were free to date whomever they pleased so there was nothing wrong with it.

But he missed everyone, especially Zoey.

So, when Allison shyly asked him out on a date, he said yes.

He said yes to knowing everything about her, and just being together. He accepted the first kiss they had shared on their fourth date, and soon they were holding hands and just being together over the simple things. Chase felt a comfort he hadn't been able to feel in a while, so when she walked into his room, he looked up from his homework.

The homework he had been attempting to do, to be correct.

Allison greeted him with a chaste kiss, and sat on his bed, "So, how was your day?"

"Well," he sighed, closing the cover of his laptop, and moving closer to his girlfriend. Three months later, and he was still getting used to that term. "…it was just an alright day. No highlights or anything."

He kept his eyes focused on their intertwined hands, and let out a breath he forgot he was keeping on the inside. Chase needed to talk to her, and didn't really know how to start. Allison used her finger to gently move his face, so they locked eyes. Allison saw the sadness in his eyes, even though he tried to hide it from her and it made her sad.

But she knew.

She wasn't clairvoyant or possessed psychic abilities but she knew.

"Chase, you're thinking about your mates in the States," she told him, softly. "And your heart is with this Zoey girl, you left behind. You love her, don't you?"

Chase immediately felt guilty, "Oh, Allie. I never wanted to hurt you, or feel like I didn't care for you. I still do, but I'm so sorry."

Allison leaned over, pressing a kiss to his left cheek, and gently smiled. She saw his eyes light up every time he'd mention PCA. Pacific Coast Academy was his home, and it would be selfish for her to make him feel bad about something he really held close to his heart.

"Chase Matthews, you are one of the sweetest guys I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Zoey is lucky to have a guy like you to love her. Go after her because you deserve it," Allison told him, placing a reassuring hand over his. He gave her a small smile, as his way of thanking her. "Just do me a favour when you're back in the States, yeah?"

"Anything…"

"Promise you'll ring me and let me talk to her?"

"Sure," Chase replied, with a nod and wrapped his arms around her frame in a hug. She hugged back, trying to be happy. He whispered. "Allie, you're one of a kind."

They pulled away, and Allison stood up to leave to her dorm burdened with assignments and studying of her own to do. She was about to leave, when she stared at Chase with curiosity.

"Chase?"

"Yeah?"

"You never answered my question. You love Zoey, don't you?"

He had never been so sure of anything in his entire life. It took time away from her to realize that. It was startling to realize that this wasn't the average puppy-dog crush, but an actual deep and meaningful attachment to someone that wasn't going to budge anytime soon.

"Yes," he answered, and then said it himself than to Allison. "I love Zoey."

Allison told him goodbye and left, the door closing with a click. He sighed, collapsing on to his bed with a grin etched on his face.

Not even Colin – _Colon_, Chase pronounced that way to irritate him – wasn't going to damper his mood.

"I love Zoey Brooks…"

--

**Zoey**

He missed seeing California sunsets and almost forgot how beautiful they were, because of London's rainy days. The sky was streaked with all of the colours imaginable, and it just blew his mind every time. Call him lame, but he was intrigued by nature and the wonders of it all. People thought he was lucky, but he laughed when they said that because it wasn't luck. It was a recipe of determination and a love for the girl currently resting her head on his shoulder that kept it together.

"I missed you," she told him, her voice soft and quiet. The waves of the Pacific crashing against each other became their own soundtrack. The scent of vanilla and strawberries wafted past his nose, and he knew he was at the right place, in the right moment, with the right girl.

He smiled down at her gently, "I missed you too. A lot. I still can't believe we're together. As in boyfriend and girlfriend."

"I don't know," Zoey said, looking up to meet his eyes. God, she missed looking into them. She chuckled a little. "Michael's pretty psyched. We were voted Mr. and Mrs. PCA, and he goes 'Yes, me! Michael Barrett did that. Not only did I invent drippin', I put them together! Remember all credit goes to Michael Barrett!'"

Chase laughed and shook his head, "Michael's weird."

"But he's your best friend."

"Ah, yes, smart girlfriend of mine," he replied, and pecked her lips, making her smile her vibrant smile. "This is true. So question? Logan and Quinn. Lola and a nice Vince Blake. I obviously wasn't here to witness the craziness and slight insanity, so what went down?"

"Kiss me and I'll tell you while you walk me to my dorm…"

"Zoey Brooks. That's blackmail." the bushy-haired teenager gasped in fake surprise, and then smiled gently. "But you're in luck, Ms. Brooks. I like kissing you."

Zoey blushed, making her cheeks turn a rosy red, and she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Oh, just kiss me, Fuzzyhead…"

"Gladly," he replied, moving closer to her. "And that's Mr. Fuzzyhead to you…"

Chase wasted no time in pressing his lips against Zoey's. The stories could wait.

--

**A/N: Yes! I did it! I hated this at first, and then when I got into it, I loved it! I wanted to take a break from writing Quogan, and writing some good old Choey fluff instead. Trust me. This section needs a hit of CHOEY fluff. I wrote this because Sean Flynn turns 19, so I said, "What not write a oneshot centred around his character?" And this was born. **

**I'm going to pimp out 'Guidance' and tell you that I'm two away from the hundred mark. I'd be happy if it hit that, so go check that story out after this, and review it, pretty please? **

**Review while I attempt to get rid of my midnight and sleep. It's 3AM. **

**-Erika**

**PS. I just remembered that I forgot Lola since she was his girlfriend for a day, but I'm tired, so sorry!**


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